Fai.
How now, spirit! whither wander you?

SONG.

2nd Fai.
  Over hill, over dale,
    Thorough bush, thorough briar,
  Over park, over pale,
    Thorough flood, thorough fire,
  I do wander every where,
  Swifter than the moones sphere;
  And I serve the fairy queen,
  To dew her orbs upon the green:^{1 note}
  The cowslips tall, her pensioners be,
  In their gold coats spots you see.
Farewell, thou dainty spirit, I'll be gone;
Our queen and all our elves come here anon.

Fai.
The king doth keep his revels here to-night;
Take heed, the queen come not within his sight.
For Oberon is passing fell and wrath,
Because that she, as her attendant, hath
A lovely boy, stol'n from an Indian king:
She never had so sweet a changeling:^{2 note}

And jealous Oberon would have the child
Knight of his train, to trace the forests wild:
But she, perforce, withholds the loved boy,
Crowns him with flowers, and makes him all her joy:
And now they never meet in grove, or green,
By fountain clear, or spangled star-light sheen,^{3 note}
But they do square;^{4 note} that all their elves, for fear,
Creep into acorn cups, and hide them there.

2nd Fai.
Either I mistake his shape and making quite,
Or hither comes that shrewd and knavish sprite,
Call'd Robin Good-fellow;(A)8Q0195 [Puck rises on a mushroom—Music.
Are you not he,
That fright the maidens of the villagery;
And sometimes make the drink to bear no barm;^{5 note}
Mislead night-wanderers, laughing at their harm?
Those that Hobgoblin call you, and sweet Puck,(B)8Q0196
You do their work, and they shall have good luck:
Are not you he?

Puck.
Fairy; thou speak'st aright:
I am that merry wanderer of the night.
I jest to Oberon, and make him smile,
And sometime lurk I in a gossip's bowl,
In very likeness of a roasted crab;^{6 note}
And, when she drinks, against her lips I bob,
And, on her wither'd dew-lap pour the ale.
Sometime for three-foot stool she taketh me;
Then slip I from her seat, down topples she,
And then the whole quire hold their hips and laugh;
But room, Fairy, here comes Oberon.

2nd Fai.
And here my mistress:—'Would that he were gone! [Music.

Enter Oberon(C)8Q0197, with his train, and Titania(D)8Q0198, with hers, at opposite sides.

Obe.
Ill met by moon-light, proud Titania.

Tit.
What, jealous Oberon? Fairies, skip hence;
Why art thou here,
Come from the farthest steep of India?
But that, forsooth, the bouncing Amazon,
Your buskin'd mistress, and your warrior love,
To Theseus must be wedded; and you come
To give them both joy and prosperity.

Obe.
How canst thou thus, for shame, Titania,
Glance at my credit with Hippolyta,
Knowing I know thy love to Theseus?

Tit.
These are the forgeries of jealousy;
And never, since the middle summer's spring,^{7 note}
Met we on hill, in dale, forest, or mead,
To dance our ringlets to the whistling wind,
But with thy brawls thou hast disturb'd our sport.

Obe.
Why should Titania cross her Oberon?
I do but beg a little changeling boy,
To be my henchman.(E)8Q0199

Tit.
Set your heart at rest,
Thy fairy land buys not the child of me.
His mother was a vot'ress of my order:
And, in the spiced Indian air, by night,
Full often hath she gossip'd by my side;
And sat with me on Neptune's yellow sands.
But she, being mortal, of that boy did die;
And, for her sake, I do rear up her boy:
And, for her sake, I will not part with him.

Obe.
How long within this wood intend you stay?

Tit.
Perchance, till after Theseus' wedding-day.
If you will patiently dance in our round,
And see our moonlight revels, go with us;
If not, shun me, and I will spare your haunts.

Obe.
Give me that boy, and I will go with thee.

Tit.
Not for thy Fairy kingdom.—Fairies, away:
We shall chide down-right, if I longer stay. [Music. [Exeunt Titania, and her train.

Obe.
Well, go thy way: thou shalt not from this grove,
Till I torment thee for this injury.—
My gentle Puck, come hither: Thou remember'st
Since once I sat upon a promontory,
And heard a mermaid, on a dolphin's back,^{8 note}

Puck.
I remember.

Obe.
That very time I saw (but thou could'st not),
Flying between the cold moon and the earth,
Cupid all arm'd: a certain aim he took
At a fair vestal, throned by the west;^{9 note}
And loos'd his love-shaft smartly from his bow,
As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts:
But I might see young Cupid's fiery shaft
Quench'd in the chaste beams of the wat'ry moon;
And the imperial votress passed on,

In maiden meditation, fancy-free.^{10 note}
Yet mark'd I where the bolt of Cupid fell:
It fell upon a little western flower,—
Before, milk-white; now purple with love's wound,—
And maidens call it love-in-idleness.
Fetch me that flower; the herb I show'd thee once;
The juice of it on sleeping eye-lids laid,
Will make or man or woman madly dote
Upon the next live creature that is seen.
Fetch me this herb: and be thou here again,
Ere the leviathan can swim a league.

Puck.
I'd put a girdle round about the earth
In forty minutes. [Music—Exit Puck.

Obe.
Having once this juice,
I'll watch Titania when she is asleep,
And drop the liquor of it in her eyes:
The next thing then she waking looks upon,
She shall pursue it with the soul of love.
And ere I take this charm off from her sight,
I'll make her render up her page to me.
But who comes here? I am invisible;
And I will overhear their conference. Enter Demetrius, Helena following him.

Dem.
Where is Lysander, and fair Hermia?
Thou told'st me, they were stol'n into this wood;
Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more.
You do impeach your modesty^{11 note} too much
To leave the city, and commit yourself
Into the hands of one that loves you not.

Hel.
Your virtue is my privilege for that.^{12 note}
It is not night, when I do see your face,
Therefore I think I am not in the night:
Nor doth this wood lack worlds of company;
For you, in my respect, are all the world:

Then how can it be said, I am alone,
When all the world is here to look on me?

Dem.
I will not stay thy question;^{13 note} let me go:
Or, if thou follow me, do not believe
But I shall do thee mischief in the wood. [Exit.

Hel.
Ay, in the temple, in the town, the field,
You do me mischief. Demetrius!
I'll follow thee, and
Die upon the hand^{14 note} I love so well. [Exit Helena.

Obe.
Fare thee well, nymph: ere he do leave this grove,
Thou shalt fly him, and he shall seek thy love. [Music. Re-enter Puck.
Hast thou the flower there? Welcome, wanderer.

Puck.
Ay there it is.

Obe.

I pray thee, give it me.

I know a bank whereon the wild thyme blows,
Where ox-lips^{15 note} and the nodding violet grows;^{16 note}
There sleeps the Fairy Queen, some time of the night,
Lull'd in these bowers with dances and delight;

And with the juice of this I'll streak her eyes,
And make her full of hateful fantasies.
Take thou some of it, and seek through this grove:
A sweet Athenian lady is in love
With a disdainful youth: anoint his eyes;
But do it, when the next thing he espies
May be the lady: Thou shalt know the man
By the Athenian garments he hath on.
Effect it with some care; that he may prove
More fond on her, than she upon her love:

And look thou meet me ere the first cock crow.

Puck.
Fear not, my lord. your servant shall do so. [Music. Oberon glides away. Scene II. —TITANIA'S BOWER. ANOTHER PART OF THE WOOD. Titania and Fairies Dance.

Tit.
Come, a fairy song; sing me now asleep;
Then to your offices, and let me rest.

SONG AND CHORUS. 1st Fai.
  You spotted snakes, with double tongue,^{17 note}
    Thorny hedge-hogs, be not seen;
  Newts,^{18 note} and blind-worms, do no wrong;
    Come not near our fairy queen. CHORUS.
  Philomel, with melody,
  Sing in our sweet lullably;
Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, lullaby:
  Never harm, nor spell nor charm,
  Come our lovely lady nigh;
  So good night, with lullaby. 1st Fai.
  Weaving spiders come not here;
    Hence, you long-legg'd spinners, hence:
  Beetles black, approach not near;
    Worm, nor snail do no offence. CHORUS.
    Philomel, with melody, &c. 1st Fai.
  Hence, away; now all is well:
  One, aloof, stand sentinel. [Exeunt Fairies. Titania sleeps.

Enter Oberon. Music. INCANTATION.

Obe.
  What thou seest, when thou dost wake, [Squeezes the flower on Titania's eye-lids.
  Do it for thy true-love take;
  Love, and languish for his sake:
  Be it ounce,^{19 note} or cat, or bear,
  Pard, or boar with bristled hair,
  In thy eye that shall appear
  When thou wak'st, it is thy dear;
  Wake, when some vile thing is near. [Music. Exit. Enter Lysander and Hermia.

Lys.
Fair Love, you faint with wandering in the wood:
  And to speak truth, I have forgot our way;
We'll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good,
  And tarry for the comfort of the day.

Her.
Be it so, Lysander, find you out a bed,
For I upon this bank will rest my head.
And good night, sweet friend:
Thy love ne'er alter, till thy sweet life end!

Lys.
Amen, Amen, to that fair prayer say I;
And then end life, when I end loyalty!
Here is my bed: Sleep give thee all his rest!

Her.
With half that wish the wisher's eye be press'd! [They sleep. Enter Puck. Music.

Puck.
  Through the forest have I gone,
  But Athenian found I none,
  Night and silence! who is here?
  Weeds of Athens he doth wear:
  This is he, my master said,
  Despised the Athenian maid;
  And here the maiden, sleeping sound,
  On the dank and dirty ground.

  Churl, upon thine eyes I throw
  All the power this charm doth owe:^{20 note}
  When thou wak'st, let love forbid
  Sleep his seat on thy eye-lid.
  So awake, when I am gone;
  For I must now to Oberon. [Music. Exit. Enter Demetrius and Helena, hastily.

Hel.
Stay, tho' thou kill me, sweet Demetrius.

Dem.
I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me thus.

Hel.
O, wilt thou darkling^{21 note} leave me? do not so.

Dem.
Stay, on thy peril; I alone will go. [Exit Demetrius.

Hel.
O, I am out of breath in this fond chase!
The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace^{22 note}
Happy is Hermia, wheresoe'er she lies;
For she hath blessed and attractive eyes.
But who is here?—Lysander! on the ground!
Dead? or asleep? I see no blood, no wound:—
Lysander, if you live, good sir, awake.

Lys.
And run through fire I will, for thy sweet sake. [Waking.
Transparent Helena! Nature here shows art,
That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart.
Where is Demetrius? O, how fit a word
Is that vile name, to perish on my sword!

Hel.
Do not say so, Lysander; say not so,
What though he love your Hermia? Yet, what though?
Yet Hermia still loves you: then be content.

Lys.
Content with Hermia? No: I do repent
The tedious minutes I with her have spent.
Not Hermia, but Helena now I love:
Who will not change a raven for a dove?

Hel.
Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born?
When, at your hands, did I deserve this scorn?
Is't not enough? is't not enough, young man,
That I did never, no, nor never can,
Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius' eye,
But you must flout my insufficiency?
Good troth, you do me wrong, good sooth, you do.
In such disdainful manner me to woo.
But fare you well: perforce I must confess.
I thought you lord of more true gentleness.^{23 note}
O, that a lady, of one man refus'd,
Should, of another, therefore be abus'd! [Exit.

Lys.
She sees not Hermia:—Hermia, sleep thou there;
And never may'st thou come Lysander near!
And all my powers, address your love and might,
To honour Helen, and to be her knight! [Exit.

Her. (starting.)
Help me, Lysander, help me! do thy best,
To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast!
Ah me, for pity!—what a dream was here?
Lysander, look, how I do quake with fear!
Methought a serpent eat my heart away,
And you sat smiling at his cruel prey:—
Lysander! what, remov'd? Lysander, dear!
Alack, where are you? speak, an if you hear;
No?—then I well perceive you are not nigh:
Either death, or you, I'll find immediately. [Exit. Enter Quince, Snug, Bottom, Flute, Snout, and Starveling.(F)8Q0200

Bot.

Are we all met?

Qui.

Pat, pat; and here's a marvellous convenient place for our rehearsal: This green plot shall be our stage, this hawthorn brake our tyring-house; and we will do it in action, as we will do it before the Prince.

Bot.

Peter Quince—

Qui.

What say'st thou, bully Bottom?

Bot.

There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisby, that will never please. First Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himself, which the ladies cannot abide. How answer you that?

Sno.

By'rlakin, a parlous fear.^{24 note}

Sta.

I believe we must leave the killing out, when all is done.

Sno.

Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion?

Sta.

I fear it, I promise you.

Bot.

Masters, you ought to consider with yourselves: to bring in a lion among ladies, is a most dreadful thing: for there is not a more fearful wild-fowl than your lion, living; and we ought to look to it.

Sno.

Another prologue must tell he is not a lion.

Bot.

Nay, you must name his name, and half his face must be seen through the lion's neck; and he himself must speak through, saying thus, or to the same defect.—Ladies, or fair ladies, I would wish you not to fear, not to tremble. If you think I come hither as a lion, it were pity of my life: No, I am no such thing; I am a man as other men are —and there, indeed, let him name his name: and tell them plainly, he is Snug, the joiner.(G)8Q0201

Qui.

Well, it shall be so. But there is two hard things; that is, to bring the moon-light into a chamber; for you know, Pyramus and Thisby meet by moon-light.

Bot.

One must come in with a bush of thorns and a lanthorn, and say, he comes to disfigure, or to present, the person of moon-shine.

Qui.

There is another thing: we must have a wall in the great chamber; for Pyramus and Thisby, says the story, did talk through the chink of a wall.

Snug.

You never can bring in a wall.—What say you, Bottom?

Bot.

Some man or other must present wall: and let him have some plaster, or some lime, or some rough-cast about him, to signify wall; and let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thisby whisper.

Qui.

If that may be, then all is well. Come, sit down, every mother's son, and rehearse your parts. Pyramus, you begin: when you have spoken your speech, enter into that brake;^{25 note} and so every one according to his cue.

Qui.

Speak, Pyramus:—Thisby, stand forth.